“We proud to be part of the growing community of Native American heavy music and musicians, and are also proud to be a representation of the Dinè/Navajo Nation along with other bands like Heart Musuem, Tribus, Hellthrone, Graves of the Monuments and Born of Winter to name a few. We hope to continue to grow as a band and, as musicians, to continue to bring recognition to the talent that is within the Native American heavy music community.” – Under Exile
Under Exile drops “Meira” single with a video directed by Jacob Reynolds today, sharing “The song lyrics take a nihilistic view on human existence, with the take that any truths, historical/cultural stories or other ‘meaning’ will ultimately be insignificant because of humans’ destructive tendencies proven through history that continue to be prevalent in the world now.”
Metal Sucks writes “Featuring the punchy guitar playing of Ryland Benally and Rumeel Jim, the thumping rhythm of drummer Wyatt Billie and bassist Trevor Martin, and the hellacious vocals of Franklin Yazzie, these guys should frankly already be on your radar if you’re a fan of that modern metalcore sound…Their new single “Meira”, which you can check out below, is a hard hitter that could stand up next to some of the genre’s biggest names.”
Check Out “Meira” Exclusively at Metal Sucks:
Under Exile, the five piece metal band formed by a group of teenagers in 2015, has members from the Dine’/Navajo Tribe on the Navajo Nation and Shiprock, New Mexico. The band has opened for Fear Factory, In Flames,All That Remains, Bad Omens, Slaughter to Prevail, Suicide Silence, Whitechapel, Carnifex, Winds of Plague, Attila, In Flames, Super Joint Ritual, Gideon, Oceano, Alien Weaponry and Soulfly, among others. Under Exile has performed at festivals in Florida, California, Colorado and Arizona, including the Four Corners Metal Festival, Navajo Nation Metal Fest, Treasure Fest, and The Seminole Tribe Music Festival.
Under Exile released their first project in 2015 titled Self Imposed Exile” with a follow up release, concept album Make Your Peace With It, in 2017. After a small hiatus from 2019-2022 the band reformed with their original core lineup of Ryland Benally and Rumeel Jim on guitar, Wyatt Billie on drums and Franklin Yazzie on vocals. They brought in Trevor Martin as their official bass player and additional song writer in 2023. Under Exile then recorded an album’s worth of material with Billboard charting producer Erik Jensen of Escape the Fate. “Meira” is the fifth single released from this recording session.“Meira” was recorded with producer Erik Jensen (Escape the Fate) in Arizona. The music video was filmed at Bunkhouse Studios in Albuquerque, NM with director Jacob Reynolds. The song was written by the members of Under Exile on the Navajo Reservation in Shiprock, New Mexico.
Under Exile recorded an album’s worth of material in 2023 with Billboard charting producer Erik Jensen of Escape the Fate. Check out the four previously released tracks below:
Watch/Hear “Redrum” (released July 19, 2024) here:
“’Redrum’ was written as an introspection to the creative process, epitomizing the feeling of being disillusioned by your work”– Under Exile
Watch/Hear “Glass In The Sage” (released November 16, 2023) here:
“‘Glass in the Sage’ was written to capture the thoughts and emotions that come with being subject to adversarial conditions. Particularly reflective of growing up within a Native American reservation and the effects of colonialism, but meant to be relatable to a wider range of backgrounds. However, this predisposition is not the defining factor of one’s fate. Be the creator of your destiny.” – Under Exile
Watch/Hear “As Above So Below” (March 1, 2024) here:
“’As Above So Below‘ is written about one rejecting beliefs forced upon them to return to their true belief. It is loosely written with the idea of Native American colonization in mind.”
Watch/Hear “Convalescence” (released October 6, 2023) here:
“’Convalescence ‘is written from the viewpoint of an addict, lyrically describing the journey and ultimately ongoing struggles of recovery and losing friends/family to addiction” – Under Exile
“Convalescence” includes an instrumental feature from metal violinist Sage Cornelius (@ragewitsage). The video features Musical Artist/Model/Actress Yajaira Eve (@yajairaeve).
UNDER EXILE is:
Ryland Benally – guitar
Rumeel Jim – guitar
Wyatt Billie – drums
Franklin Yazzie – vocals
Trevor Martin – bass
Follow Under Exile